Not like Android, the iPhone has by no means had a bodily again button. You want a way to return to the earlier web page in numerous apps, and somewhat than a button, Apple discovered an honest answer within the again gesture. It requires you to swipe from the left fringe of the iPhone’s display screen in direction of the suitable, and whereas it does not work in all apps, most have adopted it. Nearly as good as this gesture is, it may be laborious to succeed in for right-handed individuals (particularly on massive iPhones) because it requires you to increase your thumb all the best way to the left. iOS 26 makes this lots simpler.
When you begin utilizing iOS 26, you may discover that the again gesture has modified. You possibly can swipe proper from just about wherever on the display screen to return. This feels way more intuitive than swiping from the left edge. I attempted this in a bunch of Apple’s personal apps, together with Mail, Podcasts, and Settings, and it really works fairly effectively in all circumstances. One notable holdout is Safari, which retains the previous again gesture. That is comprehensible: Safari helps you to return a web page if you happen to swipe proper from the left edge, and it additionally helps you to go ahead a web page by swiping in direction of the left from the suitable fringe of the display screen.
Again gestures on iOS 26 vs. Android
In some methods, iOS 26’s again gesture is best than Android’s again gesture. Whereas Android OS helps you to swipe from both fringe of your telephone’s display screen to return—assuming gesture-based navigation is enabled in your telephone—the iOS 26 again gesture is simpler to recollect: swipe proper to return, regardless of which a part of the display screen you are on. This gesture has already grow to be part of my day by day routine on my iPhone 12 Professional Max, the place reaching the alternative fringe of the display screen is a activity and a half.
That stated, I do get annoyed with the present implementation of this gesture as a result of it does not all the time work. After I open a chat in Messages, I nonetheless must swipe proper from the left edge. In different apps, typically chances are you’ll encounter a conflicting gesture that will cease you from going again. For instance, in Mail, you want to swipe over an empty a part of the display screen to return. When you swipe over any of your emails, then you definately set off Mail’s default right-swipe gesture, and it reveals you the choice to mark a mail learn or to snooze the e-mail.
What do you assume to this point?
It is likely to be a matter of adapting to the assorted quirks of iOS, however it’s additionally value protecting in thoughts that iOS 26 continues to be in its first developer beta, so some tough edges are to be anticipated. I am fairly excited to see the way it will get polished by the beta cycle, and most significantly, how effectively third-party apps use the gesture to their benefit.
